Common chemicals around our homes

This is the age of computers, mobile phones and instant communications. The sheer complexity of some of these materials and products around us is simply bewildering. There is also a progressive effort among many people everywhere to improve the appearance of their home and the quality of the food they eat. All of that is good. But there is a downside to all that, of course; virtually all of the materials around us are made of so many different types of chemical compounds that, in some cases, threaten our very existence.

Many of these compounds interfere adversely with the development of the central nervous system and therefore are increasingly suspected of being involved in the development of autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Some have been implicated in the diminishing fertility rates now confronting many couples around the world. Now it is known that widespread exposure to some of these toxic chemicals represents a real threat to healthy human reproduction. Other than that, some of them are known as carcinogens which only require the right combination of genetic modification in an individual to induce a cancer to develop. Only last week, we did try on this page to determine what the common causes of cancer are; some of the environmental factors mentioned in that article are primed for real problems by the make-up of the individual.

Some of the chemical compounds we have to be particularly careful of are organophosphates; phthalates and flame retardants. They are found in furniture, processed foods, cooking utensils, food wraps, plastics, shower curtains, polish and shampoo. These materials get into our body through various means and cause a variety of damaging events. The organophosphorus compounds are frequently found in fertilisers and insecticides like DDT. That is also a very common component of many common pesticides available in our country. Many of them are absorbed through the skin or inhaled or swallowed with our food. It is not one known dose that is important although that becomes an issue when a large volume is swallowed or inhaled. What must cause concern is the slow assimilation of any of these systems into our organs in small regular amounts sometimes over a lifetime. Many of our compatriots who work in the motor vehicle industry as battery chargers and spray-painters are at particular risk because in most cases, they do not even have any protective gear to wear. It is known that many children who are exposed to pesticides exhibit higher rates of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder than those who are not. The children who grow up in these kinds of homes are in particular trouble.

The phthalates, which are chemicals used for softening plastics, are found in shampoos, conditioners, body sprays, hair sprays, deodorants, wall coverings, intravenous tubing as seen in medical devices, vinyl bags, vinyl flooring and food packages, colognes, soap and shower curtains. Close association with these substances is associated with reduced Intelligence Quotient. As a result, the children of hair-dressers, barbers and workers in the cosmetics industry need to be particularly kept away from the chemicals with which their parents earn their daily bread. Exposure to phthalates can be reduced by using detergents and unscented soaps and by microwaving food in glass containers rather that plastic ones. Further reduction can be obtained by avoiding the use of air fresheners and by using various cleaning materials which are not scented.

Flame retardants are materials that are developed with safety in mind because they have been proven to slow down the spread of flames. These are found in computers, television sets, toys and throw pillows. They contain polybrominated diphenyl ethers and the ethers are often shed from these various products only to accumulate in dust. In many developed nations of the world where dust is not a serious issue, the risk of such exposure is exponentially less important. In our environment, however, the sheer volume of dust we are daily confronted with is enough to combine with these ethers and cause certain types of thyroid diseases. In addition, air pollution caused by burning fossil fuels like coal, petrol, natural gas and diesel are associated with a variety of respiratory diseases. These pollutants also contain nitrogenous compounds, formaldehyde and benzene.

Many of these substances penetrate deep into the body to cause significant health problems. In the new-born, brain damage would have begun even within the womb and interfere with the development of the nerve connections that make a normal brain development possible. As a result, the presence of these substances within the body of the mother presents some degree of risk to the unborn baby. They are capable of interfering with the normal development of the infant brain where the most important connections are complete by the time the baby is born. The rest of the development of the brain is further conditioned by growth and experience. Without the formation of the normal interactions between these nerves in the brain and spinal cord, a mentally challenged individual is the result.

The other chemicals we commonly find in our homes are metals. The most important of these is lead, a naturally occurring metal often found in paints and motor parts. It is also found in car batteries and wheel weights. In the past, it was also found in petrol and water pipes. As those pipes rusted, the lead leaked into the water. Lead is of particularly negative implications for the brain of a child where it causes delayed mental and physical development and may also cause a low IQ and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The same goes for mercury that is found in light bulbs, the older washing and drying machines and thermometers. This compound can generally get into our bodies by contaminating sea water and getting into fish and shellfish which we eventually eat. As individuals and as a community, we can be proactive in favour of our health to prevent as much of the above materials as possible from getting into our bodies. The benefits to each and every one will be immense, not to mention the cost benefits to be earned by doing so.

Ask the doctor

Dear doctor, I am 29 years old and a mother of three, but my husband is always complaining that my breasts have fallen, and he always insults me with that. Is there any drug that is advisable for me to use, please? 090594xxxxx

You have nothing to worry about really. Breasts becoming flabby are a consequence of growth and when you have breast-fed three babies that ought to happen. If you desire them to be firm again, you would either have to embark on some serious exercise routine tailored for that purpose or you see a plastic surgeon to have a breast lift operation. No drug I know of can do that for you.

Dear doctor, I will be 64 years old in May. I have a problem; I noticed some blood in my sperm when I woke up as I had a romantic experience in my dreams. I went to see a doctor and was asked to do a sperm test. My problem is that my wife is in the United Kingdom and I have no girlfriend here with me. I was advised to rub my penis with soap so that I can release sperm but that did not work after so many trials. Secondly, I am hypertensive and also have erectile dysfunction problem. Is there any way I can go about releasing sperm for the test? If there’s none, is there any medication? Thanks a lot and remain blessed. 080342xxxxx

Blood in the sperm usually indicates there may be an inflammatory condition of the prostate like an infection, or due to a stone, tuberculosis or cancer of the prostate. Sometimes, hypertension may be the cause. As for the best method to get out the semen, an aspirator may be used as a last recourse if you fail to get it out by masturbation, but you will have to visit a urologist to help you with that.

Dear doctor, I have been feeling some pain in my waist region and when I take Panadol extra or alabukun, the pain disappears, only to resurface the following day. My friend says it could be signs of a kidney problem. Please can you direct me to a good hospital where I can do a scan and how much it would cost me approximately? 070180xxxxx

I do not agree with your friend that what you have is a kidney problem. It may vary from an acute low back strain to a degenerative disease of the spine. So, you are much likely to require tests far beyond the routine scan you seem to have in mind. You may have to conduct blood and urine tests and X-rays as well before a scan is necessary. And that scan may well be an MRI scan or a CT scan. In the end, what it will cost you will depend on what tests you end up doing and where they are done. I would advise you to go to a teaching hospital, a specialist hospital or a federal medical centre for the comprehensive assessment you require before the tests you need to carry out are also outlined.

Dear doctor, I am an 18-year-old lady who got sick a few years ago. Afterwards, I lost my shape from fat to slim. Please, how can I get back to my normal shape? Also, is it true that having sex all the time will cause one not to have menstrual pain as a virgin, and is that the cause of menstrual pain? 090328xxxxx

The new shape you have acquired is dependent on what kind of sickness you had. It is also possible that after you overcame the illness, you lost the ability to eat the way you ate previously. As a result, you failed to gain weight. The surest way to gain weight is to eat more than your body needs. As for frequent sex and dysmenorrhoea, there is no link. Your friends are misleading you to go down a ruinous path. Painful menstruation can be treated with medications, in some situations, but not with sex, whether frequent or not.

Dear doctor, only God can rescue our country from corruption whether in the health sector or within the councils of government. About eight years ago, I had cause to leave one teaching hospital for another one because it was my intention to change my specialty. Late last year, I went back to the previous institution to settle some personal issues, and to my utter surprise, my name still appeared in the salary roll in the accounts department. I also noted that there were some other names besides mine as well who had similarly left the system. I am told that the various hospitals use this form of false accounting to garner extra financial commitment from the government. It is also possible that somebody within the accounts department is routinely “earning my salary” in my absence within a system I had already left. Everything now is all how to generate money and more money; nobody seem s to want to improve the system. 080344xxxxx

That is a serious matter sir. Thank you very much for your contribution.

Dear doctor, I have a 17-year-old son who awoke from sleep in the morning and we found him to have a funny swelling on his penis. It is a very itchy thing and some parts of the swelling have blisters that are producing a clear kind of water. What kind of problem is this? 080347xxxxx

I am not entirely sure what this represents. The picture you sent me is a poor quality one but it could have resulted from an insect bite or an allergy to something his genitals came in contact with. Whatever the case may be, take him to see a doctor for a preliminary examination and treatment should then be possible.

Dear doctor, is it true that when a woman is pregnant and drinks cold water that the baby will catch cold often? 080367xxxxx

That is a question one has often been asked several times as well, but there is no truth in it. The water you drink goes into your stomach. Your baby is in a different compartment called the uterus or the womb. Those two organs have no contact or communication. So, the cold water you drink cannot reach the baby and cause anything.

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